One of the more popular dancehall DJs of the 90s, Mad Cobra was the first reggae artist to top the Billboard rap singles chart. He initially made his name with a series of tough, hard-hitting singles aimed at the hardcore crowd, filling his lyrics with the requisite slackness and gun talk. However, he achieved international crossover success by incorporating elements of R&B and hip-hop. Mad Cobra was born Ewart Everton Brown on March 31, 1968, in Kingston; he was raised in the province of St. Marys, but moved back to the capital city during his teens. He took his stage name from the villains in the G.I. Joe comic book series, and performed with several sound systems while still in school. His uncle, Delroy Spiderman Thompson, worked as an engineer at the Tuff Gong studios and produced Mad Cobras debut single, Respect Woman, in 1989. The follow-up was a duet with Tricia McKay, Na Go Work, which brought him to the attention of producers Carl Banton Nelson and Captain Sinbad. Ninjaman-style gun talk was the dancehall trend of the day, and Mad Cobra soon built a following with similarly minded singles like Shoot to Kill, Merciless Bad Boy, and Ze Taurus.Those initial hits landed Mad Cobra a shot with producer Donovan Germains high-profile Penthouse label, where he teamed with resident engineer/songwriter Dave Kelly. Yush and Gundelero were enormous hits in 1990, breaking Mad Cobra into the big time; he also scored with a Beres Hammond duet, Feeling Lonely. His first album, Bad Boy Talk, appeared in 1991 and sold briskly; meanwhile, he continued to record for a variety of top producers over 1991-1992, landing hits like O.P.P. (for King Jammy), Tek Him (Bobby Digital), and Be Patient (Sly & Robbie). He soon became a phenomenon in the U.K. as well, topping the countrys reggae singles chart five times during the period and working with some of that countrys top dancehall producers. Even a storm of controversy over the stridently homophobic lyrics of Crucifixion failed to slow his momentum.Mad Cobras success earned him a major-label deal with Columbia, which had just watched Shabba Ranks cross over to R&B audiences in America. Cobras label debut, Hard to Wet, Easy to Dry, aimed for similar territory, especially the lead single, Flex. A slinkier number built on a version of the Temptations Just My Imagination, Flex was a major crossover hit in 1992; not only did it top the rap singles chart, it reached the Top Ten on the R&B charts, and nearly did likewise on the pop listings